Garment



D. NOVICK Nov. 3, 1942.

GARMENT Filed 00. so,- 1939 2 sheets-sheer 2 Patented Nov. 3, 1942UNITED STATES PATE OFFICE GARMENT Daniel Novick, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 30, 1939, Serial No. 301,864

1 Claim.

The invention relates to improvements in garments, and more especiallyto womens dresses, the primary object of the invention being theprovision of an improved garment construction which will allow a greatfreedom of movement by the wearer and at the same time present anornamental appearance.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a dress constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 a rear view of the same;

Fig. 3 an enlarged transverse section taken substantially on line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 a partial rear view of a dress of slightly modified construction;

Fig. 5 an enlarged section taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 a plan view of the rear of the waist shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,in which the position of the double pleats formed therein are indicatedby dotted lines;

Fig. 7 a plan view of the rear of the waist illustrated in Fig. 6 butshown with the pleats completed;

Fig. 8 a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the rear of the waistillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5; and

Fig. 9 a view similar to Fig. 'l but showing the completed backillustrated in Fig. 8.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. l, 2, 3, 6 and 7comprises a dress having a waist portion l0 and a skirt portion I4secured thereto in the usual way so as to be supported thereby. The rearof the waist portion l0 is provided with a plurality of inwardly foldeddouble pleats Il and l2 arranged as indicated in Fig. 3. After saidpleats are thus formed as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, thesame are secured at top and bottom by lines of stitching I3, theintermediate portions of said pleats being left free and unpressed toassume shapes and positions substantially as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

By this arrangement, when the wearer is standing normally erect, theweight of the skirt and the confining belt have a tendency to exertslight vertical tension longitudinally along the pleats, which have atendency to hold said pleats substantially closed throughout theirintermediate portions, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. However, duringlateral movements or twistings of the body, these pleats are free tounroll and open up so as to produce a sort of a bloused effect andpermit of the greatest possible freedom of movement Without opening orunrolling of the central portions of the pleats more than absolutelynecessary to permit of such freedom of movement. Owing to the fact thatthe pleats are unpressed, there are no sharp pressed edges to be thusunrolled and displayed, so that the pleats, when open or partially open,have no distinct lines of demarcation and therefore so blend with eachother and the adjacent parts of the waist as to be comparativelyinconspicuous. As soon as such motions of the wearer have beendiscontinued, the vertical tension of the weight of the skirt and theconfining action of the belt have a tendency to exert longitudinaltension along the length of the pleats, thus restoring the pleats totheir natural closed condition. In this way a garment is producedaffording the greatest possible freedom of movement to the wearer and atthe same time presenting an ornamental appearance during such movements.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 8 and 9, single pleats Hare employed in the rear of the waist which are equivalent in allrespects to the pleats H already described, except that they aresomewhat wider to compensate for the fact that they are single pleatsinstead of double pleats, as previously described. Thus the singlepleats will afford almost the same freedom of movement as the doublepleats and at the same time present substantially the same ornamentalappearance as the double pleats and as indicated in Fig. 4.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred forms for carryingmy invention into effect, these arecapab-le of variation andmodification without departing from the spirit of the invention. Itherefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details disclosed butdesirel to avail myself of such Variations Iand modifications as fallwithin the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A dress comprising a waist portion and a skirt portion connected to thewaist portion, said waist portion having substantially Vertical parallelpleats formed in and extending throughout the length thereof, saidpleats being secured in folded condition for relatively short distancesat the upper and lower ends thereof with the intermediate and majorportions thereof being free and unpressed, said skirt portion beingsupported by said Waist portion and by its weight exerting tension onsaid waist portion to hold said free portions of the pleats normallyclosed.

`DANIEL NOVICK,

